Henry v



(No Model.)

H. V. SMITH.

GAME.

No. 416,511. I Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

NJETERS. PMb-L'dhognphar. Wnbhklgiun. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

HENRY V. SMITH, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF I TOFRANKLIN B. BRADLEY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,511, dated December3, 1889.

Application filed August 29, 1889. Sen'al No. 322,338. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY V. SMITH, of Bridgeport, in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement inGames; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a perspective View of the field, portions of the surroundingledge broken away; Fig. 2, a top view of a portion of the field,representing the position and operation of the pitcher and batter; Fig.3, a longitudinal central section on line m a; of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, anunder side view of a portion of the field, representing the mechanismfor operating the pitcher and batter; Fig. 5, a detached view of thehand of the pitcher, showing the ball in section as held by the pitcher;Fig. 6, a modification inthe construction of the operatingfigures; Fig.7, a Vertical section; and Fig. 8, a transverse section of a figure,illustrating a modification in the moving parts.

This invention relates to agame designed to represent a game ofbase-ball, and in which counts may be made in like manner as in thatgame; and the invention consists in a platform having figures arrangedcorresponding to the players in a base-ball game, especially the pitcherand the man at the bat, the said last-mentioned figures arranged toreceive a rotative movement, whereby the pitcher throws the ball by itsrotative movement, and the batter by its rotative movement makes amovement as if batting the ball, and as more fully hereinafterdescribed. A represents the field, which is made from a board of anydesirable size, upon which is laid out the several positions, as in abaseball game, and at these posit-ions the figures are arranged.

As here illustrated, B represents the catcher; C, the pitcher; D, firstbase; E, second base; F, third base; G, shortstop; H,

center field; I, right field; J, left field, and K the man at the bat.These figures, except the pitcher C and batter K, may be fixed to theboard in their respective positions, and

the other figures,-excepting the pitcher and batter, may be omittedentirely.

The pitcher C is arranged upon a rotating disk L, as seen in Fig. 3, andhas one arm extended, as seen in Fig. 1, so as to receive a ball M.-Under the best construction the hand of the pitcher is in the form of apin N, (see Fig. 5,) and the ball M formed with a corresponding hole, soas to set loosely onto the pin.

The disk L is constructed with a shank O, which extends through theplatform, as seen in Fig. 3. This shank forms an axis upon which thefigure may turn, and upon its lower end, beneath the platform, a cam Pis secured to the shank O, and upon the flat side of the cam a spring Rbears, as seen in Fig. 4, so as to yieldingly hold the cam in theposition seen in Fig. 4, which is the normal position of the figurerepresented in Fig. 2. If the figure be turned to the positionrepresented in broken lines, Fig. 2, the cam below is correspondinglyturned and compresses thespring, as represented in broken lines, Fig. 4.If from this position the cam be started on its return, so as to bringthe fiat side of the cam within the influence of the spring R, thereaction of the spring will accelerate the rotation of the figure togive it an impulse suificient to throw the ball, which may have beenplaced upon the hand of the figure, and with considerable force.

The figure is provided with a handle or lever S near its feet, by whichit may be conveniently turned to the position indicated in broken lines,Fig. 2, and in this position the figure will stand, because of thedirect bearing of the spring against the cam. Then if the person workingthe game presses the lever S toward the return movement, so soon as thecam has passed so far as to permit the spring to operate upon the flatside the spring .will exert its influence upon the figure to may he sonearly simultaneous with the movement of the pitcher that the batsmanmay hit the ball should it come within the range of his bat, themovement of the pitcher is communicated to the batsman, and this is doneby a rod V, running longitudinally beneath the platform from the cam ofthe pitcher to the cam of the batsman, and the end of the rod toward thepitcher is in such position with relation to the cam that in the lastpart of the return movement of the cam I it will strike the rod V,giving it a blow like a hammer. The other end of the rod W bears againstthe batsmans cam V, and so that the blow thus imparted by the movementof the pitcher will be communicated to the cam of the batsman, servingto give a slight but very quick rotation to the batsman, as from theposition in Fig. 2 to that seen in broken lines same figure.

A spring X beneath the platform. bears against the flat side of the camV, serving to yieldingly hold the cam in its normal position, but yet soas to permit the blow from the pitcher to be communicated to thebatsman, as before described, the springinstantly returning the cam Vand batsman to the normal position after the blow shall have beenimparted. The ball being fixed upon the hand of the pitcher and therotation imparted to the pitcher, as before described, the ball willleave the pitchers hand and fiy with considerable force toward thebatsman. The batsman at the same time makes its movement, and if theball comes within the range of the bat it willbe struck and thrown intothe field.

At different points in the field cavities are formed-portion (L outsidethe foul-lines I), and others (Z within the diamond, and still others 6within the field-lines outside the diamond. Near the lower end of thefield lines f and g are made across the field, and at opposite cornersspaces h are indicated. The cavities are designed to count as catches,so that should the ball fall into one of the cavities it is a catch atthat point and counted as such; but if the ball does not fall into oneof the cavities, but, on the contrary, lies upon the surface, it iscounted as base-hits, according to its position. If, for illustration,the ball lies inside the line f, out of the cavities, it is calledaonebase hit. If between the lines f and 9, it is called a two-base hit.If outside the line g, it is called a three-base hit. If in the spaces hat the corners, it is called a homerun.

After the ball has been once thrown and the count made it is replacedupon the hand of the pitcher and again thrown, and, so 0011- tinuing,the game is played, making the counts the same as ina base-ball game.Two parties playing, each will play and count with the same figures, butas for their respective nines. To prevent the ball from escaping fromthe field, a ledge iis formed around the platform.

It will be understood that the platform or field may be made as a boardto rest upon a table, or made as the top of a table, as usual in thisclass of games.

\Vhile I prefer to make the whole figure rotate, the figure maybe madein parts, divided at the waist, as seen in Fig. 6, the lower portionmade stationary upon the platform, and the body portion having the shankextending through the lower portion, and by which the pitching orstriking rotation may be imparted. Again, the rotation may be impartedto the arm of the pitcher or of the batter without rotation of thebodyas, for illustration, the arm may be hung in the shoulder of thefigure, as represented in Fig. 7, there being an axle or spindle lextending from the arm into the body at the shoulder, and upon which thearm may swing. This spindle carries a cam 911., against the fiat side ofwhich a spring it may act, as seen in Fig. 8, and substantially as doesthe spring R upon the cam I, and so that thearm turned to the drawmbackposition, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 8, the cam will be held bythe spring in that position to be tripped, and this tripping may beperformed by the cam P, operating a trip-rod r, as represented in brokenlines, Fig. 8. So soon as the cam P imparts its blow, as beforedescribed, it operates t-he trip-rod r, and it in its turn trips the camon and imparts a rotative throwing or striking movement to the arm ofthe figure. I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting theoperation of throwing and batting to the particular mechanism firstdescribed; neither do I wish to be understood as limiting the inventionto any particular shape of the figure, it only being essential that thepitcher shall receive an impulse to throw the ball and the batter animpulse to strike the ball should it come in range of the but.

It will be evident that the cavities, pockets, or divisions of theplatform for the lodgment of the ball may be arranged in any desirablemanner or position upon the platform so that the count or points of thegame maybe readily determined.

I claim 1. The herein-described game, representing the game ofbase-ball, consisting of a platform having thereon the representation ofthe several positions in the field and constructed with cavities atdifferent points, within either of which the ball may rest com binedwith a pitching-figure and a battingfigure, with mechanism,substantiallysuch as described, to impart the pitching movement for the discharge ofthe ball, and a connection between the said pitching mechanism and thebatter, substantially such as described, and whereby the movement of thepitcher is simultaneously communicated to the batter.

2. The herein-described game, representing a game of base-ball,consisting of a platform pitcher, the-disk of the batter provided with alike spring-cam, and a connection between the cam of the pitcher and thecam of p the batter, whereby the movement of the cam of 15 the pitchermay be communicated to the batter, substantially as described.

HENRY V. SMITH. Witnesses:

H. S. SHELToN, O. E. HOUGH.

